


Rituale ad Ligatis

by cathcer1984



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Courting Rituals, Florist Harry, M/M, Rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-08 02:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13448595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathcer1984/pseuds/cathcer1984
Summary: Harry is surprised when the letter comes in the post. But at the end of it, he finds he doesn’t mind so much.





	Rituale ad Ligatis

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry that this is short. But I honestly quite like it that way. I’m not good at writing ritual and bonding fics as much as I love reading them. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless, because I loved writing it.  
> The title is Latin for Ritual to Bind (unimaginative, I know, forgive me?)  
> Beta’d by L.
> 
> Snarry glompfest for ai_no_ame

The writing on the envelope was ornate, its heavy and thick, the black ink glistened as though it was still wet yet, when Harry ran his finger over the words, they didn’t smear or smudge.

He opened the envelope and put the letter inside on the table, it lay flat as though it had never been folded, and read over the glossy words. Then Harry read it again. Flooed Hermione in a mild panic and shoved the thick parchment into her hands, before she’d had the chance to say ‘Hello’.

“Oh, oh my.” Hermione sat back in the chair, after placing the parchment on the coffee table, and surveyed Harry then she looked back at the letter. “This is serious Harry. He’s invoked the Rituale ad Ligatis, an ancient magic that means you have to follow this through.”

“I can’t say no?” Harry cried out outraged.

Hermione pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, “Do you really want to?”

Harry looked away and glanced at the parchment, silently, wordlessly they both knew that no, he had no intention of not seeing this through. Not after he first glanced at the spidery signature at the bottom of the page; Severus Snape.

~***~***~

As per the tradition Harry was not allowed to contact Severus for a month. All the contact had to come from the other man and only through owl post.

Harry had woken one morning to the insistent pecking of an owl against the glass, he had let the owl in only for it to fly off as soon as he had taken the letter from its leg. Slowly he unrolled it and saw that Severus had sent him a sprig of rosemary and the parchment only said: Learn the language in Severus’s writing.

Inhaling the scent Harry frowned. What on earth did the note mean? Learn the language of what?

With a sigh Harry put the rosemary down and left his flat apparating to work. “Morning Neville,” Harry called as he made his way to the door, unlocking it and turning the sign to ‘open’.

“Hello Harry,” Neville said as he put the green apron over his head. “Hermione told me about Severus.”

With a smile Harry felt his cheeks heating, Neville laughed gently, “She also told me you had no objections. Has he contacted you this morning?”

“Sent me a sprig of rosemary and the note only said ‘learn the language’. No idea what he means.”

Neville’s hearty laugh made Harry frown. “You fool! You work with flowers but you don’t know the language of them. He’s telling you to know the meanings of flowers. Rosemary is a good way to start, it says a lot.”

“It’s a herb.”

“Practical. Not just for looking it. It can be used in Potions and cooking, a mix of magical and muggle. It symbolises constancy, fidelity and loyalty. Severus is pledging that he will be someone you can rely on, someone who will never stray and remain loyal.”

“Well we knew that. He was fiercely loyal during the war.”

“To Dumbledore. He’s showing, now, that he’s loyal to you.” Neville looked at Harry seriously for a moment and Harry could see the intelligence in his eyes, the strong man there and he knew why Hermione loved him.

The door opened and the bell jingled happily, they broke away from their conversation as an elderly lady came in. “Good morning, how may I help you?”

“I’d like some flowers, please.”

Harry could read the customers well, that’s why he was at the front of the shop and did the arranging while Neville tended the plants. As a florist, Harry got to see people at their happiest, during a birth or at their saddest, during a death.

Instantly, he knew this woman was mourning. “Of course,” he said gently. “Who for?”

“My, my nephew.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. What was he like?”

“Full of life, and happiness.” She gazed at him with clear blue eyes and said sincerely “I don’t want sad flowers. It’s been a year, I was sad at his funeral but now, now I can be happy about how he lived.”

“How about some sunflowers? And hydrangeas?” Yellow and blue, they were pretty enough. The lady nodded and Harry set about making an arrangement for her, throwing in some greens and some white heather.

He handed the bouquet over and said “That will be fifteen pounds. Have a good day remembering your nephew.”

She smiled and made her way out of the shop, Harry sighed happily and sank into the seat behind the desk waiting for another customer, his mind on the letter and rosemary at home.

When five o’clock in the evening rolled by Harry stretched and asked Neville if he wanted to go for a pint but Neville shook his head. “It’s Hermione’s mum’s birthday, we’re going there for dinner.”

“Oh right okay.” Harry forced a smile. “Have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Neville nodded and said goodbye watching Harry carefully as he apparated away.

~***~***~

Tomorrow was the final day of the four week period in which Harry couldn’t contact Severus. It meant that they would be meeting the day after, meeting with chaperones to begin discussing their marriage ceremony.

Harry had asked Hermione but she had said no. It had to be a man or a married woman so he asked Neville instead and his friend had smiled, agreeing immediately.

Glancing at the vase on the mantle Harry looked at all the flowers Severus had sent him over the last four weeks. Flowers that told a story, told of Severus’s love for Harry, his loyalty, his passion, his devotion. Asking the same of Harry in return. And Harry yearned to speak with the man to say ‘yes’.

He was a nervous wreck at work and bungled three separate orders before Neville sent him home where he paced until Hermione and Neville came over later, when he’d shut the shop.

“Harry, calm down. You want this, don’t you? You want Severus?”

“You know I do, Hermione.” Harry ran a hand through his hair and his knee bounced uncontrollably. “But, what if-”

“Harry, he wants you. He went through this ridiculous ritual for you”

“I suppose.”

Sitting back on the sofa Harry looked at his two friends, the way they leaned into each other, the easy way Neville would know when Hermione wanted her wine, or when her hair was tickling her face. Harry was jealous of the ease of their relationship, the way they were with each other and he wanted that, wanted it with Severus and he was going to get it. Tomorrow.

He barely slept knowing that he was going to see Severus the next day, it excited him and made him nervous.

Harry got up at five in the morning sick of staring at his ceiling, when he made it to the kitchen there was an owl waiting for him on the sill. Obviously he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. Taking the letter Harry unrolled it, seeing two flowers, a vivid purple and a bright white, fall out onto the table.

Viscaria and stephanotis.

What did they mean? He’d have to wait for Neville, so Harry put the kettle on and made a cup of tea. He was sipping from his second cup when Neville and Hermione came in at six, instantly Neville’s tired face lit with a grin.

“Will you dance with me?”

“What?” Harry asked, confused.

Neville fingered the purple viscaria and said “that’s what it means, ‘will you dance with me?’, and the stephanotis means happiness in marriage. Basically he’s asking you to dance with him at your wedding.”

Hermione sniffed happily, but told them she had allergies when they both looked at her funny. She was never a sentimental type, but Harry knew she secretly loved the romance of what was happening to him.

“What time are we leaving?” Harry asked Neville but it was Hermione who answered.

“You aren’t. Not until you’ve had breakfast, showered and shaved.” She put her hands on her hips and did her best Molly impersonation. “Which first?”

~***~***~

An hour and a half later Harry and Neville were making their way to Hyde Park where Severus set up their meeting point. They were both in formal robes and Harry felt ridiculous. He kept tugging at his collar, and Neville had to keep batting his hands away, until they rounded the corner and Harry stopped dead.

There in the middle of Hyde Park was Severus, standing with Lucius Malfoy and behind them were Harry’s and Severus’ friends. Walking slowly to meet Severus Harry asked, “What’s going on?”

“Did you get my flowers?” Severus asked, his dark eyes fathomless. Harry nodded and then Neville was turning him slightly sticking the white and purple flowers to his robes with a mild charm. “And what is your answer?”

Thinking back to what Neville had told him of the flowers’ meanings Harry knew that this was Severus’ way of proposing.

“Yes.”

Severus’ lips curved into a half smile and Lucius clapped his friend on the shoulder before striding down the makeshift aisle, Neville followed behind him.

Harry took Severus’ proffered hand and whispered to him, “Why?”

“Why what Harry?”

“The ritual, the bonding. All of it, any of it. Why?”

“Why do you think?” Severus indicated at their friends, “They accept us, but the rest of the world does not. We know this, it is why we have stayed quiet over the years but enough is enough. I want the world to know you are mine, and once we bond through Rituale ad Ligatis no one can break us up. We will be bonded for life.”

With a grin Harry leant up and kissed Severus deeply, ignoring the wolf-whistles from the Weasley’s and George’s shout of “You’re meant to do that after you’re married!”

“I love you,” Harry whispered against Severus’ lips. “I’ve missed you.”

“And I, you.” Severus said, squeezing Harry’s hand as they walked down the aisle to their future together.


End file.
